Sometimes, life surprises you with little moments that just… stick. The kind that remind you what really matters in this whole journey of transgender parenting and self-discovery.
Intentional Transgender Parenting
My kids don’t know I’m transgender yet. My wife and I have been intentional about how we approach transgender parenting, choosing not to expose them to too much, too soon. Instead, we’re planting seeds of acceptance early on. Teaching them, without saying specific words, that it’s okay to love people exactly as they are.
We talk about kindness, empathy, and difference. Skin color, identity, ability: all when it comes up naturally. If they love someone, they don’t have to hide it. By doing this, we’re creating a foundation for understanding later, when those bigger conversations about my gender eventually come. And their own identities as they find them.
The Moment That Stuck
The other day, I was having one of those off days—tired, distracted, just a little out of sorts. My 11-year-old son must’ve noticed, because he quietly walked up and gave me a hug.
Half-joking, half-serious, I said,
“Hey… you know I’m not like most dads, right? Like, you know I don’t act like some of them or do things like they do?”
He just looked at me and said,
“Yeah. I know.”
Then he hugged me tighter, said “I love you, daddy,” and went right back to what he was doing. No questions. No hesitation. Just love.
Why That Moment Matters in Transgender Parenting
It hit me harder than I expected. As much as I try to show him unconditional love, I hadn’t realized how much I needed to feel it from him too. That small, unfiltered moment showed me that my son already understands the heart of transgender parenting. That love doesn’t need labels to be real.
Moments like these remind me that connection can come before explanation. Even as I keep figuring out how to live as Michelle, I can already feel that my family’s love is the constant holding everything together.
A Quiet Reminder
These little moments may not make headlines, but they shape everything. They remind me that acceptance starts long before the big reveal. It starts in how we parent, how we talk, and how we love.
That’s the beauty of transgender parenting. It’s not about perfection. It’s about presence.
Sometimes, the simplest gestures speak the loudest.
2 Comments
Lynn Jones · November 18, 2025 at 8:41 am
What a fab post and really touching moment too. How kind of your son to say what he did, and for you as a parent, to build that trust within him.
Michelle · November 18, 2025 at 9:47 am
It really was one of those moments that just lands in your chest and stays there. I’m trying hard to build that kind of trust with my kids, even before they know the full story. I’m always wondering if I’m doing this parenting thing right, especially with everything I’m still figuring out myself. Hearing him say that… it felt like a little reminder that maybe I am.